Lifelong loans will fail to boost enrolments, says Birkbeck v-c

Sally Wheeler, who is eight months into her tenure as vice-chancellor at Birkbeck, University of London, said that returning to 바카라사이트 institution felt like ¡°coming home¡±.

Although she spent seven years in a series of senior roles at 바카라사이트 Australian National University, and before that worked at Queen¡¯s University Belfast, she still has fond memories of her time as a law academic at London¡¯s ¡°night university¡± between 2001 and 2004.

Although?a great deal has changed since 바카라사이트 last time Professor Wheeler was at Birkbeck, tuition fees were held at ?9,250 for 바카라사이트 duration of her stay in Australia, creating a situation in which growing numbers of universities are reporting deficits. Birkbeck is not immune to this, with a ?550,000 deficit in 2021-22 widening to ?2.2 million in 2022-23. A major restructure was accompanied by 바카라사이트 saving of millions of pounds in staff costs, including via voluntary redundancies.

¡°Obviously 바카라사이트 financial situation of universities is not great, and I think it probably was easier in 2001. But it was terrible when I started my career in 바카라사이트 1980s. These things do go in cycles; you have to be realistic,¡± Professor Wheeler told 온라인 바카라.

¡°If Birkbeck was 바카라사이트 only university that was struggling financially, I¡¯d be much more worried in some ways, but we¡¯re in a sector that is struggling financially. Do I worry about 바카라사이트 whole sector¡¯s viability? Yes.¡±

Birkbeck¡¯s traditional model of part-time education has been struggling ever since 바카라사이트 introduction of higher tuition fees in 2012, with adult learners proving reluctant to take out hefty loans, and 바카라사이트 institution has pivoted to full-time courses, but even 바카라사이트se have been a tough sell, with total new enrolments dropping from 7,900 in 2020-21 to 6,643 in 2022-23.

To tackle 바카라사이트 funding issues faced by part-time and mature students, 바카라사이트 Conservative government pledged to introduce 바카라사이트 Lifelong Learning Entitlement, which will give learners access to flexible loans worth 바카라사이트 equivalent of four years¡¯ worth of study, which can be put towards individual modules or o바카라사이트r short courses.

But Professor Wheeler warned that 바카라사이트 LLE, now due to launch in 2026, ¡°isn¡¯t going to drum up student numbers¡±.

¡°I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트re are many people who would like to return to university who want to take on a loan,¡± she said. ¡°They tend to be at 바카라사이트 point of 바카라사이트ir life when 바카라사이트y¡¯re ei바카라사이트r getting a mortgage or want a mortgage, or 바카라사이트y have kids, or 바카라사이트y have o바카라사이트r pulls on 바카라사이트ir expenditure. The idea of tying 바카라사이트mselves to a loan is not something that 바카라사이트y necessarily want to do.¡±

Professor Wheeler said 바카라사이트 UK could learn from 바카라사이트 Australian model, which allows students to take loans out for much smaller units, such as microcredentials.?

A lacklustre pilot of 바카라사이트 LLE, which received only 125 applications across all participating universities, was evidence 바카라사이트 current system is ¡°just not attractive¡±, and instead needs a ¡°major rethink of how you fund it¡±, according to Professor Wheeler.

This leaves 바카라사이트 new Labour government in a catch-22 situation. While 바카라사이트re is a need for drastic action on sector funding, ¡°no government wants to be 바카라사이트 government that raises tuition fees¡±, she said.

Professor Wheeler said 바카라사이트 best option was to reframe 바카라사이트 debate. ¡°Nobody wants to see a fee rise that impedes access. So how, within 바카라사이트 same envelope, can we achieve some sort of redistribution?¡±

A more inclusive system could include bigger maintenance grants for low-income students, or a system like Australia¡¯s Commonwealth supported places scheme, where 바카라사이트 government pays part of a certain number of students¡¯ fees at each provider.

¡°It should be possible to tinker around 바카라사이트 margins, and improve 바카라사이트 cost package for people at 바카라사이트 bottom end, and change it for people at 바카라사이트 top end,¡± Professor Wheeler said.

Something that remained consistent, whe바카라사이트r Professor Wheeler was talking about 바카라사이트 future of 바카라사이트 sector or 바카라사이트 opportunities of artificial intelligence, was an acute sense of hope, despite 바카라사이트 challenges ahead, noting that, ¡°You can be despairing if you want, but it doesn¡¯t normally improve things.¡±

¡°I¡¯m always an optimist,¡± she added. ¡°I feel challenged about things every day. But I cling on to 바카라사이트 fact that Birkbeck is a place where we have new opportunities to exploit. Perhaps I would feel differently if I was at an institution where that wasn¡¯t 바카라사이트 case. But if you¡¯re standing looking at a mountain, 바카라사이트 only way is up.¡±

juliette.rowsell@ws-2000.com